


there goes the maddest man this town has ever seen

by Sanctuaria



Series: Celebrating AoS Season 7 (with angst and hurt/comfort) [16]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Deke joins the yearly zoom call, Deke learns about BBG, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Deke Shaw, Fitzsimmons Family Feels, Fix-It, Fluff, Gen, Post-Canon, Season 7 finale, Sort Of, like one line of Philinda banter, literally no angst guys be proud of me, one more lemon reference for the road, season 7, the Deke Squad lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:08:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25906360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sanctuaria/pseuds/Sanctuaria
Summary: Team Meetup, Year Two:“So you’re at the Academy now then,” Jemma said, looking delighted. “That’s wonderful; the recruits—” The smile dropped off her face to be replaced with a look of confusion as the air in the center of the group shimmered before a new figure appeared, outfitted in leather places leather shouldn’t be, spiky hair and a black eye patch over one eye.“What, I didn’t get an invite?” Deke Shaw asked, looking around at them all.
Relationships: Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie/Yo Yo Rodriguez, Deke Shaw & Agents of SHIELD Team, Deke Shaw & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons, Phil Coulson/Melinda May (implied), Skye | Daisy Johnson/Daniel Sousa
Series: Celebrating AoS Season 7 (with angst and hurt/comfort) [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764745
Comments: 114
Kudos: 453





	there goes the maddest man this town has ever seen

**Author's Note:**

> Credit to OptimusRules for the prompt, and to Jeff in his finale interview where he talked about the post-credit scene/tag that almost happened for Deke. In this fic, that tag is canon ;)
> 
> Title adapted from my new favorite song from _folklore_ , “the last great american dynasty.”

“Okay, see you in a bit,” Daisy said. Sousa gave her a warm smile as he settled down on the couch across from her, headphones in his ears and a tablet on his lap playing the latest in let’s-introduce-Daniel-to-the-21st-century-pop-culture movies, _Jurassic Park_. She lifted the small Framework disc to her temple, feeling it adhere as her heartbeat sped up in anticipation. The world went black and rippled around her, a momentary disorientation before her surroundings settled again.

It wasn’t the wood-paneled interior of the bar this time; Elena had mentioned a great view off some rooftop in Paris, and she hadn’t been lying. The sky sparkled a brilliant blue above her head, puffy white clouds along the horizon and the Eiffel Tower somewhere in the distance, and Elena’s grin on their last video call when she’d said she was upping the ante was well-deserved.

But that was fine. Next year, Daisy was taking them to the inside of a nebula.

“You made it,” a voice said from behind her, and she turned to see May standing there, her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face. The urge to envelop her in a hug surged within her at the sight of her old S.O. in her familiar leather jacket—of course even Professor May wore leather instead of tweed—but she resisted, not knowing whether their holographic selves were capable of human contact.

“Of course,” she said instead, giving her a wide, happy smile. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

Fitz and Simmons appeared next, Fitz in a soft blue cardigan and Jemma a pale green sweater and dark wash jeans. Coulson was fourth, then Mack and Elena together, also more dressed down than last time.

“Gang’s all here,” Coulson said, looking around fondly at them all before gesturing at the set of seven chairs arranged in a circle like last time. “Shall we get started?” Daisy slipped easily into hers, Jemma on her right and Coulson on her left.

“Still just out there seeing the world?” she asked him, figuring she might as well get the ball rolling. “Where have you been now?”

“Around,” he replied, smiling slightly at her. “Made my way through Europe…stopped in Ireland for a while to read _Ulysses_ in pubs…but then…” He turned to look pointedly at May. “ _Someone_ showed up and kidnapped me.”

May rolled her eyes. “Don’t be dramatic, Phil. I asked for your help.”

“ _Kidnapped_.”

“So you’re at the Academy now then,” Jemma said, looking delighted. “That’s wonderful; the recruits—” The smile dropped off her face to be replaced with a look of confusion as the air in the center of the group shimmered before a new figure appeared, outfitted in leather places leather shouldn’t be, spiky hair and a black eye patch over one eye.

“What, I didn’t get an invite?” Deke Shaw asked, looking around at them all.

“Deke?” Jemma asked, amazed.

“How did—how did you—?” Fitz stammered, staring at him. “That’s…that’s not possible.”

“Sorry, Bobo, guess I’m smarter than you after all,” Deke told him. He grinned. “I get it from Nana. Turns out, people and spaceships aren’t the only things that can cross timelines; signals can as well.”

“Um…what happened to your eye?” Daisy asked, because it seemed like the obvious question.

“Oh, this?” He lifted the small black triangle up, revealing one perfectly unharmed eye underneath. “Figured I could rock a little Nick Fury vibe, since he’s, you know—“ He made an exaggerated choking noise, drawing a finger across his neck. “—in the timeline you left me in, so.” He let it fall over his eye again. “Yeah, sometimes I just switch which eye I wear it on, you know? Keeps the newbies on their toes.”

“So then…you’re okay,” Daisy said. “And…Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.?”

“Yup. Hold on.” He held up one finger, then pulled a face of concentration as he typed something in midair. A chair like the rest of theirs materialized in front of him and he dragged it to one side of the circle between Jemma and Daisy, who hurriedly scooted to make room for him, still staring at him in disbelief. “Technically, S.H.I.E.L.D. is the Deke Squad, expanded. Or the Deke Squad is S.H.I.E.L.D.” Daisy had a sudden flashback to a certain phone video May had showed her and swallowed something half-laugh and half pure incredulity. “The Chronicoms bombed the bases, but not the Academies, so between the agents in the Krazy Kanoe and the recruits still there, we made out all right. Everyone knows there’s aliens now, though, so that’s different. Lot of rebuilding to do—I don’t know if you guys ever knew her in your time, but Victoria Hand is kind of a hard-ass. Couldn’t do it without her, though.”

Jemma exchanged a sad look with Coulson.

“Your little selves are doing great though. Alfie graduates high school in a few weeks, with honors. Planning to offer him a job, if he wants it—mechanic only, since I know the fighting’s not really your thing.”

“Thank you,” Mack said, looking slightly misty-eyed.

“But enough about me,” Deke said suddenly, looking around at them all. “I wanna know about you. I assume you guys defeated the Chronicoms once you got back, right?”

“Only took me dying to do it, but yeah,” Daisy said with a quirk of her lips and a shrug of her shoulders. Her initiation to the Dying Club had stopped being traumatic somewhere in between Zephyr Three almost being sucked into a black hole about a year back and an accidental crash-landing on the wrong side of Kitson, which probably would have been more mentally scarring if she hadn’t been too busy laughing at the look on Sousa’s face.

“One-upping my heroic sacrifice right off the bat, of course,” Deke nodded appreciatively.

“We did have something to tell you guys,” Jemma cut in, with a glance at Fitz. Her brow furrowed and the back of Daisy’s neck tingled with anticipation at the look passed between them, and Daisy leaned forward in her chair. “We’ve known for a couple weeks now, but we thought the group meet up would be a good time to tell you all… And we’re happy you’re here, Deke.” She blinked several times. “Fitz and I…I’m pregnant.”

“Oh my god, Jemma!”

“Congratulations!”

“Congratulations, you two.”

“I’m coming back to Earth,” Daisy told her, still grinning. She looked across the circle at Mack. “This is my three weeks’ notice for leave, Director. We’re turning Zephyr Three right around. I’m _not_ missing the second one.”

He smiled teasingly back at her, joy dancing in his dark eyes. “I appreciate that, Agent Johnson, but I’m still going to have to have you fill out the requisite paperwork to request leave.”

“Wait…second one?” Deke demanded, looking back and forth between his grandparents. “Second—second child?”

Jemma nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. “Alya…Alya’s five. She’s what I couldn’t remember. She was the secret you were protecting, Deke.”

“Alya,” he whispered. “Like the star.” And, with a glance at Daisy, “And the sky.”

“Yeah,” Fitz said a bit gruffly, reaching up for something they couldn’t see. He made a motion in the air, and a shimmering image of their daughter appeared in front of him, bright blonde hair just beginning to darken as she grinned up at them from the pool, a monkey-shaped float ring around her middle.

“She’s beautiful,” Deke said in a choked voice. He looked off to the side suddenly, distracted. “What’s that, Izzy? …Okay, tell Vic I’ll be right there.” He turned back to focus on them. “We’re kind of draining our entire stock of arc reactors for this little video chat right now, but… See you next year?”

“Next year,” Coulson said.

“Next year. We’ll bring pictures,” Jemma told him.

“Next year,” Daisy agreed, her throat closing up slightly. She’d never thought she’d see him again, had thought the hurried expression of gratitude she’d given him back in 1983 would have to suffice as the last words they’d ever had together. “And Deke…thank you,” she said, willing him with her eyes to see how sincere she was. “I know what it cost you.”

Deke just smiled at her. “How’s Danny-boy?”

“Not thrilled that that nickname’s still around, but he’s good,” Daisy said, returning his smile. “We’re good.”

“All right then. Til next year.” He grinned around at them all, then lifted the eyepatch and shifted it from his left eye to his right. “We’ll see if rookie Agent May is paying attention.” His hologram blinked out.

May was the first to speak. “Did he just say…”

“Uh-huh. And arc reactors—still stealing tech ideas, I see,” Mack commented.

“At least he’s putting them to good use this time,” Elena said. “For S.H.I.E.L.D. Or multidimensional conference calls.”

“For family,” Coulson said, nodding.

“Guys…you don’t think he’s going to try to become Iron Man, do you?” Daisy asked in alarm as the idea occurred to her.

Mack just put his head in his hands as the rest of them burst into startled laughter. “Lord, have mercy.”

* * *

The world zoomed back into focus as he slipped the Framework tech off his head, and he stood blinking in the bright sunlight. A motley collection of agents stared back at him, waiting with baited breath.

“Did it work, sir?” Olga asked in accented English.

“Yeah. Yeah, it did,” he said, and the agents let out a cheer. He let them go for a moment, then put on his best Director-voice. “All right, people, break time’s over! Let’s get back to work!” He watched as they slowly dispersed, the sounds of construction starting up again on the Triskelion, its white towers rising above the Potomac. “And, uh, Cadet Coulson, could I get a lemon water please?”

**Author's Note:**

> *sniffle* I love Deke, goddamnit. 
> 
> Any and all feedback appreciated <3
> 
> (now with a part two! the next work in this series)


End file.
